I was very impressed by the speed I received my assigned call sign - I took the test on Saturday and my call sign was posted today - just five days later. Extremely fast for a government agency, from my experience, except when you owe the IRS money! Anyway, I immediately applied for a vanity call sign that I pre-checked the data base to make sure it was available. When I did a search here to find out how long before the new sign would be approved, I was a bit dismayed to read 18 days! That was from an old post, and I was wondering if anyone knows if the process has been sped up any?

In the menu block on the top of the home page there are two blocks labeled "Apps. Filed" and "App. Predictions". These are when a ham filed a Vanity Call request and the prediction of whether or not it will be awarded and if the app was for more than one callsign, which callsign probably will be awarded. The time period seems to be about right but it does vary.

N4MC has done a great job with the page and the information is as up to date as any where around.

And if I was issued KD8UQU as you were - I would change it also. That is a fist full in CW.

1. Regarding the speed of issuing a new license, any delay is "imposed" not by the government agency but by the VEC process and the specifics of each VEC. The FCC has delegated to 14 Volunteer Examiner Coordinators the entire process, not only of accrediting and supervising the Volunteer Examiners, but also of directly accessing the license database and triggering the issuance of licenses. So it all depends on which VEC was used, since they have some freedom to tailor the process. Without getting into the merits of each, some allow VEs to email results in; others require the actual paper and signatures in their hands. The "ultimate" is (IMO) the effort that the Laurel VEC goes to at the Dayton Hamvention. They bring the VEC itself to Dayton and process in near-real-time! So you take the test, have the VEs grade it, and then they hand it directly to the VEC group. Within a few hours your license is issued!

For the record, your VEs were accredited by ARRL VEC. That VEC requires the paper, so your application and test results were mailed (or FedExed) to Newington CT and processed there. And five days is pretty impressive for that process.

2. Regarding vanity calls and the 18-day wait, that delay is imposed to allow for applicants to mail in payment and then give time for checks to clear--there's really nothing that can speed this up. Not everyone who files an online application can use a credit card for payment--some might not be comfortable using a credit card online, and others may not even have one. So the FCC allows the applicant to print out a payment form and mail in a check. But they don't want to process the application before the payment arrives, so they have to allow time for mail delivery and for manual input of the incoming payment. And they also want to make sure the check clears--they don't want to have to "back out" an assignment due to a check bouncing. Since sometimes vanity callsign allocations are competitive--multiple applicants on the same day for the same callsign--the FCC does not want to preference applicants who pay online over those who pay by mail. How they came up with 18 days to allow for this isn't completely obvious, but that's why the delay.

Anyway, I immediately applied for a vanity call sign that I pre-checked the data base to make sure it was available.

P.S. Sorry to tell you that your app will have problems. Your first choice is not available--it's currently assigned. And your second choice can't be assigned--it's not a valid callsign format under current FCC rules for the amateur service. (1x4 calls haven't been issued since the early 1930s.)

Recommendation: Follow Clint's suggestion and read all you can at VHQ. Then modify your app to add a valid-and-available choice.

With all due respect, no it didn't (unless you are just counting business days).

According to the record of your application on the ULS (found here), you applied on 16 April 2011 (a Saturday), the application was entered as received on 18 April 2011 (the next business day), and your license was granted on 6 May 2011. Elapsed time from 18 April to 6 May was 18 calendar days. It was the 15th business day after you submitted, but that's not the typical context for this discussion.

Anyway, I immediately applied for a vanity call sign that I pre-checked the data base to make sure it was available.

P.S. Sorry to tell you that your app will have problems. Your first choice is not available--it's currently assigned. And your second choice can't be assigned--it's not a valid callsign format under current FCC rules for the amateur service. (1x4 calls haven't been issued since the early 1930s.)

Recommendation: Follow Clint's suggestion and read all you can at VHQ. Then modify your app to add a valid-and-available choice.

Yeah - I'm working on it. BTW: I knew the second wasn't valid when I hit the submit button - but it was too late to change it. Thanks!

Copyright 2000-2017 eHam.net, LLC
eHam.net is a community web site for amateur (ham) radio operators around the world.
Contact the site with comments or questions.
WEBMASTER@EHAM.NETSite Privacy Statement